


Dulcet Tones

by Loremaiden



Category: Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms, Sherlock Holmes (1984 TV)
Genre: Community: watsons_woes, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-04
Updated: 2014-07-04
Packaged: 2018-02-07 09:09:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1893360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loremaiden/pseuds/Loremaiden
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mrs. Hudson sees Watson's bedside manner in action.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dulcet Tones

**Author's Note:**

> Written in response to JWP #3 (I Never Get Your Limits) on Watson's Woes. Inspired by listening to Edward Hardwicke's audiobook narrations.
> 
> I Never Get Your Limits: A character's hidden talent saves the day. The talent, and the character, is up to you, as well as what constitutes 'saves the day'.

Last evening, I lent myself to the Kemps, a family I know that lives close by. Their little girl was ill, and with her parents dead on their feet from watching over their newborn boy, I offered to look after sweet Clara for the night, and brought in Dr. Watson for his own medical services.

Her fever was slight but persistent, enough to keep the poor dear from any real rest. She tossed and turned in her sickbed fitfully, dozing for a few minutes then starting wide awake, and became quite tetchy as the night dragged on.

To keep her mind off her discomfort, I took a book of fairy tales from her night table and offered to read some to her. To my surprise, though she has known me all her young life, she wanted Dr. Watson, a stranger, to read to her instead.

“Papa reads to me before bedtime, and he does the voices better than Mama,” Clara explained to me.

Dr. Watson has an excellent bedside manner, but I figured he had enough work trying to keep the cold compress fixed on her tiny forehead and mixing the tinctures. Still, he accepted her request with no complaints, and began to read.

Until then, I had only heard the doctor rattle off telegrams and newspaper articles quick as you please to Mr. Holmes when he needed information in a hurry, but this was different. This was _wonderful_. His voice was calming, rich and deep and so soothing as he read tale after tale that I think I nodded off a bit myself.

When at last he stopped reading and the spell was broken, I looked over at our patient.

Clara was finally sound asleep and smiling as she dreamed. And I'm sure her good night's sleep was what got the fever to break by morning.

I wonder if I could convince Dr. Watson to try his hidden gift on Mr. Holmes when he gets his next fit of insomnia?


End file.
